Command Control Power: Apple Tech Support & Business Talk

Jerry Zigmont, Joe Saponare, Sam Valencia

Sam, Jerry, and Joe discuss their thoughts and draw from their combined experience of over 20 years in the Apple Consultants Network (ACN).

  1. 1d ago

    Best Of CCP: Balanced Billing the Partner Plan with Richard Wingfield of Envision Design

    Recorded on may 31, 2016 TOPICS: Richard B. Wingfield - Head Geek, Envision Design, LLC of Houston Texas:"I have been using Mac's in business since original Macintosh in '84 and Envision, as a consulting firm, has been around since 1993. Started part time as sole proprietor and 20+ years later we are now a firm of 5 full time consultants here in Houston.   I tell people I am a "recovering architect" as I got my start in technology practicing architecture and being the "tech guy" in every firm I ever worked for. I even helped manage a DEC vax/vms system for a firm in Austin soon after graduating from The University of Texas with a degree in Architecture.  This episode examines Richards own "recipe' for Managed Services. Here is a brief description as discussed: … Simple Hybrid Partner Plan is setup so almost all the clients "get it" and are not confused about how it works - 3 part invoice is made up of - small monthly fee per device (each mac, each windows, each iOS or android, each server… fees like $25/mac or $49/windows or $250/server etc) client must enroll ALL computers in the office (cant get cheap and have some on the system and some not) - our "consluting fee" - which is time for humans to do the work to manage, monitor, secure and maintain systems and ALWAYS includes a minimum of one 2hr visit per month  (more if needed or requested) - fees for services or hosting (if we host kerio email or rackspace or web or crashplan backups or re-sell backblaze)  ----------------------------------- You can find more about Richard and  Envision design here: Web: http://www.envisiondesign.net

  2. Aug 18

    Using Claude for IT Fixes: Printer Pools, Chrome Log Sleuthing, UniFi IoT Wi‑Fi, and iPhone Protection Tips

    The hosts discuss confusion caused by Microsoft's email warning that Publisher will end in October 2026 and urging users to convert files to PDF. Jerry shares how he's been using AI—especially Claude (and sometimes ChatGPT)—to speed up IT work: creating an Addigy printer pool by assigning static IPs to flaky Brother network printers, analyzing Mac logs with Claude to find a runaway Chrome render process causing memory pressure, and using the Quitter app to auto-quit Chrome as a workaround for battery and performance issues. He also describes fixing a weak UniFi doorbell connection by creating a 2.4GHz-only SSID and broadcasting it on multiple access points. The conversation broadens to AI guardrails, environmental and economic concerns, and social impacts. They cover security-minded IoT network segmentation, Sonos reliability, a client scare about entering a Mac password prompted by Touch ID autofill in private browsing, RingCentral sidebar customization, presbyopia eye drops, and phone accessory tips including ESR screen protectors, Spigen cases, camera lens vulnerability, battery health, and pros/cons of Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program.   00:00 Podcast Kickoff Banter 00:19 Microsoft Publisher Panic 01:39 AI Fixes Printer Deployments 04:19 Claude Reads Mac Logs 05:53 Quitter App Chrome Workaround 08:14 AI Ethics and Guardrails 12:07 AI Economy Bubble Talk 16:03 UniFi Doorbell WiFi Fix 20:23 IoT Networks and VLAN Trust 25:00 Sonos Reliability Updates 28:12 Experian Password Scare 30:06 Touch ID Prompts Confuse Users 32:00 V-Neck and Beard Side Chat 32:18 Beard and Shirt Banter 32:54 Eye Drops for Presbyopia 35:23 Screen Reflections on Calls 37:11 RingCentral Sidebar Hack 39:21 Best Budget Screen Protectors 41:58 Do You Even Need Protectors 44:27 Cracked Camera Lens Mystery 47:06 Battery Health and Upgrade Temptation 52:07 iPhone Upgrade Program Debate 57:54 Wrap Up and Sign Off

  3. Aug 11

    Best Of CCP - 540: Interview With Mike Bombich of CEO and Developer of Carbon Copy Cloner

    -We are pleased to welcome Mike Bombich, creator of Carbon Copy Cloner. -He tells a story of losing data that inspired his creation of Carbon Copy Cloner. -Mike spent 8 years as a creative with Apple. -CCC was initially donation-ware. -He never wanted to put any barrier between you and your data. -macOS Big Sur started the downfall of bootable backups. -Mike talks about how that affected CCC and his customers. -We talk about Time Machine's reliability and alternatives to built in solutions. -Mike is not a fan of backing up to disk images. -Jerry talks about the new Quick Updates feature of CCC. -Mike talks about his feelings on cloud storage. -Migration Assistant is another hot topic and we get into methods of restoration. -Mike has always had a concern about releasing software that can delete data. -We love the fish (it's a tuna!) that guides us to privacy settings. -He shares a bug from the Mojave days that affects helper tools, that has now been corrected in Ventura. -Carbon Cooy Cloner's update will not be subscription based. -Check out the latest release of Carbon Cooy Cloner and the list of new features.

  4. Aug 4

    Microsoft Retires SMS/Voice MFA, Salesforce SSO Headaches, and SOC 2 Realities

    Sam and Joe discuss Microsoft's plan to retire Microsoft-provided SMS and voice calls for MFA, with key dates of Sept 1, 2026 (users on SMS/voice are automatically enabled for passkeys and nudged to register) and Feb 1, 2027 (blocking enforcement for users whose only MFA is SMS/voice, no opt-out), noting paid/customer-managed telecom options and the need to warn clients, address legacy per-user MFA vs conditional access, and handle shared accounts via shared mailboxes or passkey-sharing tools. Sam recounts a prolonged Salesforce SSO/MFA issue worsened by poor vendor documentation and misleading AI guidance, ultimately tied to a Microsoft KB update. They then cover partnering with Fuji for client SOC 2 compliance support, emphasizing evidence, audits, costs, and ongoing maintenance, plus how cyber-insurance questionnaires drive security improvements. The episode also touches on residential support cases, Vision Pro support challenges with DRM blocking screen mirroring, and show wrap-up.   00:00 Show Kickoff 00:17 Microsoft MFA SMS Retirement 00:44 Key Dates and User Impact 03:28 Authenticator Backups and PSAs 04:40 Legacy MFA Cleanup Challenges 07:36 Conditional Access Licensing Risks 10:12 Shared Accounts and Passkeys 12:21 Salesforce MFA SSO Headaches 13:25 AI Missteps and Vendor Docs 17:50 SOC 2 Help from Fuji 21:23 SOC 2 Costs and Maintenance 22:49 Easy Buttons and Real Audits 26:27 Cyber Insurance Questionnaires 27:53 Partnering for Expertise 29:07 Cyber Insurance Foot in Door 30:31 Apple Store Referral Win 31:01 Lightroom Migration Pitfalls 34:31 Blocked Contacts Mystery 38:04 Email Search and User Training 40:02 Supporting Vision Pro Clients 47:28 Amazon Returns and Exceptions 50:24 Wrap Up and Callouts

  5. Jul 28

    New OS, Old Problems

    In this episode of Command Control Power, the hosts discuss early experiences with the macOS 27 "Golden Gate" beta, noting it feels snappy and stable but breaks QuickBooks, leading one host to keep QuickBooks on a headless Mac mini running macOS 26. They cover upcoming Apple Intelligence features, including AI-assisted file renaming, Safari profiles and AI-suggested tab grouping, page-change notifications, and Apple Passwords' potential to automate password changes (which appears incomplete in testing). The conversation compares Apple Passwords with 1Password, explains passkeys with client-friendly metaphors and technical points, and notes issues caused by multiple password tools. They also review AirPods Pro 3 fit and changes, discuss hearing-aid functionality on AirPods Pro 2/3, and share troubleshooting tips for Splashtop permissions and an Apple Mail send bug tied to "check spelling before sending."   00:00 Show Kickoff 00:08 macOS Golden Gate Beta 01:47 Safari Tab Groups 06:18 Apple Intelligence Highlights 08:39 Passwords Auto Change 17:48 Passkeys Explained 24:01 Passkey Pitfalls 26:33 AirPods Pro 3 First Impressions 26:47 Better Fit Out of Box 27:07 Why Upgrade AirPods 28:08 Lost AirPod Find My 30:10 Sound Signature Debate 31:25 AirPods at Loud Venues 33:03 Hearing Aid Potential 37:00 Remote Setup iPhone Mirroring 42:08 Splashtop Permissions Trick 44:42 Fuzzy Mic Trend Rant 46:50 Apple Mail Send Bug Fix 49:17 Next Episode Teasers Wrap

  6. Jul 21

    Best of CCP - 342: Accruing Technical Debt

    Sam Valencia, Jerry Zigmont and Joe Saponare discuss working with Apple technology and clients. Drawn from their combined experience of over 20 years in the Apple Consultants Network, thaey discuss technical support issues both with the technology and working with clients.

  7. Jul 14

    Beyond the Surface: Network Tools and Cloud Security

    The hosts discuss several network and security topics, starting with UniFi's new "Device Supervisor" feature under Power and Resiliency to monitor device heartbeat and automatically recover silent devices, plus UniFi's move from UniFi Server to UniFi OS Server that may require a migration and re-adoption, pushing remaining sites off a Mac mini to cloud management. They revisit ethernet surge protection and grounding for outdoor cameras and consider alternatives like rack grounding, DIN rails, grounding rods, or using a sacrificial outdoor switch with fiber uplink. They mention Speedify for bonding multiple cellular/Wi‑Fi connections. The conversation shifts to email security: Microsoft's "impossible travel" detection and API reporting versus Google's weaker reporting, alongside odd Google reauthentication/password-change loops and MFA fatigue leading to a Google account breach. They cover deploying Claude Enterprise in healthcare with BAA needs and using Microsoft Purview/Defender to block pasting PHI into Claude, then discuss risks of fake password prompts, password managers (1Password vs LastPass), and end-user security training.

  8. Jul 6

    OS 27 Support, Siri AI, and the New Backup Reality

    The hosts discuss early impressions of iOS 27 on an iPhone 15 Pro Max and interest in Siri AI on newer iPhone hardware, plus Apple's macOS 27 compatibility list ending Intel support while continuing support for 2020 M1 Macs, which they estimate could extend security updates to roughly 2029. They debate device lifespans for home and business, note iOS 27 supports iPhone 11, and consider how Siri AI's on-device, voice-first, screen-aware approach could change form factors and competition. A cautionary story highlights lost Quicken 2016 data due to missing backups and limitations of iCloud Drive and Backblaze, including Backblaze's cloud-sync folder controversy and retention/restore issues, while Carbon Copy Cloner's option to temporarily download cloud-only files is raised. They recount multiple Migration Assistant failures resolved by re-wiping and redoing the migration, identify a client complaint as Stage Manager, and briefly cover testing the UniFi 5G Max cellular backup with AT&T and a low-income T-Mobile-based SIM option.

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Sam, Jerry, and Joe discuss their thoughts and draw from their combined experience of over 20 years in the Apple Consultants Network (ACN).

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